We thank Youth Forum writer Ivan Ho Wen Jun for his passion and thoughts on pursuing a viable arts career in Singapore (Do more to enable a viable career in the arts, Aug 15).
Singapore’s arts scene is a source of national pride, as we see a growing appreciation towards home-grown talent with more stepping forward to support the scene’s development. Over the years, Singapore’s arts landscape, celebrated locally and overseas, has grown in vibrancy and diversity.
Many young artists have made a mark for themselves locally and internationally, including visual artist Weixin Chong, Carnatic vocalist Sushma Soma and singer-songwriter Charlie Lim.
Weixin has exhibited extensively in Singapore and different cities round the world such as London and Vienna. She also lectures at arts institutions, namely Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and LaSalle College of the Arts.
Sushma has performed at prestigious venues across Asia, Europe and the United States to critical acclaim, while Charlie has performed in Singapore and South-east Asia.
Weixin, Sushma and Charlie are also recipients of the National Arts Council’s (NAC) Young Artist Award, the nation’s highest award for young arts practitioners.
NAC recognises that capability development is a cornerstone of a fulfilling career and is committed to support arts practitioners in their professional development at various stages, from scholarships for arts practitioners to grants that support continuous upskilling and development.
NAC also works with partners such as The Esplanade Co, National Gallery Singapore and School of the Arts with on-the-job training attachments. In addition, artists across all art forms can apply for international residencies to hone their practice and establish wider networks to further their careers.
As NAC charts the next chapter of Our SG Arts Plan (2023 to 2027), we will continue to support artistic excellence while widening opportunities for diversified career pathways in the arts.
The experience of the last two years during the Covid-19 pandemic has shown us that our artists also need to be equipped with skill sets to apply their talents with adaptability and openness.
We will work with our training institutions to support aspiring youth like Ivan to pursue viable long-term careers in the arts.
We encourage all Singaporeans to also support and appreciate our artists as this is also key to the sustainable growth of the scene.
May Tan
Director, Sector Development (Education and Development)
National Arts Council
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MCI (P) 031/10/2021, MCI (P) 032/10/2021. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2021 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.